FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2007
CONTACT: Geoff Embler or Matt Mackowiak
Hutchison, Cornyn Urge Disaster Declaration For Texas Flood Recovery
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) on Friday urged President George W. Bush to expedite Governor Rick Perry’s request for a federal disaster declaration for the following Texas counties that have suffered damage from severe weather and flooding: Bosque, Lampasas, Tarrant, Grayson, and Cooke.
The text of the letter is included below:
Dear Mr. President:
Governor Perry has requested an expedited federal disaster declaration for damage caused by severe weather and flash floods in Bosque, Lampasas, Tarrant, Grayson, and Cooke Counties. We encourage you to give strong consideration to this request for federal assistance to aid those whose lives have been devastated by this disaster.
Torrential rainfall from June 16 to June 18 swept through the region, quickly overflowing creeks and drainage systems and giving rise to flash floods in many residential areas. At one point the downpour topped an inch every fifteen minutes, and floodwaters as high as eight feet were recorded. Tragically, six people lost their lives as a result of the disaster, and hundreds more remain homeless. Millions of dollars worth of housing, infrastructure and public facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the floodwaters.
We appreciate the efforts already underway by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with State of Texas disaster response personnel, and we urge you to quickly issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration so that the victims can begin to rebuild their lives. You may be certain we will work with the Administration to aid the victims of this disaster.
Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
John Cornyn
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